Hammer cap



G- TUCKER HAMMER CAP Dec. 11, 1962 Filed March 28, 1960 Fla. 7

TK N

mT w

3,067,790 Patented Dec. 11, 1962 free 3,067,790 HAMlt IER CAP GordonTucker, Minneapolis, Minn. Filed Mar. 28, 1%0, Ser. No. 18,050 1 Claim.(Cl. 145-29) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in aresilient covering or cushioning which may be applied to the strikingsurface of a variety of hammers to provide a removable resilientstriking surface therefor.

This application is a continuation in part of my application entitledHammer Covering, Serial No. 678,562, filed August 16, 1957 and nowabandoned.

Prior to this invention it has been suggested that upholsterers,carpenters, mechanics, electricians and the like should have a removableresilient cover for the hammer used for ordinary Work such as drivingnails, and the like where inadvertent or accidental marring of thesurface is negligible or immaterial to adapt the general purpose hammerfor work upon surfaces such as fine furniture, highly machined parts,sheet parts, plastics, glass, resilient floor coverings, etc. wheremarring as by hammer dents must necessarily be precluded. All resilienthammer covers known prior to this invention, however, required theremoval of the cover when the hammer was used for work requiring a hardface and replacement for any work in situations requiring a soft face.Such removal and replacing of the cover when switching from one form ofWork to another promotes loss of the cover as well as loss of time whilethe cover is being removed or put into place. The present inventionminimizes possibilities of loss both of the cover and time in removingand replacing it by having a central opening therein through which thehard face of the hammer with which it is being used can be applied tonails, nail sets, and punches without removing the cover.

It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a new and usefulresilient surface for a hammer.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a resilientcovering for a hammer which has a central opening thereby leaving aportion of a hard face on the hammer available for use when the cover isin place.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a new and usefulremovable cap or cup which may be used with the ordinary hammer toprovide a resilient striking surface therefor surrounding an exposed,hard striking surface.

Still a further object of this invention resides in a new and usefulhammer cover having unique means whereby the covering may be readilyinserted upon and removed from a hammer head, yet provide a securepositioning upon hammer heads of varying sizes.

Other and further objects of the invention are those inherent andapparent in the structure as described, pictured and claimed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this inventionthen comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claim, the following description setting forth indetail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these beingindicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which theprinciples of the invention may be employed.

This invention will be described with reference to the drawings in whichcorresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a claw hammer having the instantinvention positioned thereon;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view, partially in vertical section, showing theinvention positioned upon a hammerhead according to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrows 33 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the instant invention removed from thehammer;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrows 55 of FIGURE FIGURE 6 is a view similar toFIGURE 4 but showing a modified form of the instant invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a view taken along the line and in the direction of thearrows 77 of FIGURE 6.

Reference is now made to the drawings and specifically to FIGURE 1. Inthe drawings, there is shown a hammer of the claw variety generallydesignated 10, with reference to which this invention is to beexplained. It is to be understood, however, that claw hammers of varyingsizes such as thirteen ounce or sixteen ounce hammers, ballpean,riveting, boilerrnakers, bricklayers or machinists or other hammershaving heads that are circular, square or of other configuration may beused as the hammer to which this invention is applied, all within thespirit and scope of this invention.

The hammer 10 is provided with the usual handle 11 fitted into the head12 in this instance provided with claw '13, and a cylindrical end 14providing a face '15.

The cap generally designated 20 as shown comprises a bottom surface 21having an opening 28 therein, integrally joined to a perpendicularcylindrical wall 22 thus forming an open bottomed cup as shown in FIGURE5. It is provided with a plurality of parallel inwardly extending ridges2.3 diminishing from their base portion at the juncture with thecylindrical wall 22 to the apex 24 thereof to form a triangularcross-section and spaced as indicated in FIGURE 4. Reference to FIGURE 5will show that these extend from the inner surface 26 to the top 27 ofthe cap.

There is thus provided a cup-shaped member having a centrally openthickened bottom portion, the outer surface of which provides a strikingface, the inner surface of which engages the face of a hammer and aperpendicular cylindrical wall having a plurality of inwardly turnedridges adapted to grip the hammer.

The modification shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 differs from that shown inFIGURES 1-5 in that a plurality of similar parallel ridges 30 areprovided, but ridges 30 extend circumferentially around the interior ofthe cup rather than axially as ridge 23. There are several spaced ridgesor ledges 30 positioned from the bottom to the top of that modificationas shown in FIGURE 7. The ridges are interrupted at a plurality ofplaces 31, three in this instance.

The plurality of ridges, whether axial in the modification of FIGURES 15or circumferential FIGURES 6-7 perform two important functions: first,they allow the cap (within predetermined limits) to be positioned onhammers having striking faces of differing sizes and configurations sothat the cap is adjustable to a variety of hammers; second, they allowthe entrance of air in between so that there is no vacuum created whenit is attempted to remove the cap from the hammer.

The compressibility of the axial ridges 23' is shown in FIGURE 3allowing the cap to adjust to the hammer and providing air spacestherebetween. Likewise (with reference to FIGURES 6 and 7) thecircumferential ridges 30 perform the similar function of providingadjustability although they are deflected upwardly and downwardly withreference to FIGURE 7 rather than circumferentially as for the ridges 24in FIGURE 3. The interruptions 31 (as shown in FIGURES 6 and 7) provideaxial or vertically aligned channels to admit air between thebe used inplace of a separate rubber or other mallet or in place of a makeshiftsuch as a block of Wood which is in turn struck by the conventionalhammer, etc.

Furthermore, it is not necessary to remove the cover when striking apunch with the hammer provided with the resilient cover of theinvention. The opening allows striking the punch with the hardenedhammer face even while the cover is in position. For example, acarpenter may use such a covered hammer to knock a molding into positionwithout marring or marking it, and without removing the hammer cover,drive nails to hold molding in position. These nails can then becompletely driven by using a nail set.

The material from which this resilient cover is made must be one whichhas suflicient resiliency to allow it to be put on and removed from thehammer and yet be retained frictionally upon the hammer well.Furthermore the material should be such that it will neither mar as lSpecifically, these covers without departing from the spirit and scopethereof. The specific embodiments described are given by Way of exam pleonly and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appendedclaim.

What is claimed is:

A hammer cap comprising: a resilient cup having an upstanding walljoined to a bottom portion which is useful as a striking surface, aplurality of parallel inwardly extending, resilient projections securedto the wall of said cup for securing the cup to a hammer head, saidinwardly extending projections being parallel to the striking surface ofsaid cap and being interrupted by at least one channel cutting throughthem vertically with respect to the striking surface of said cap, saidcup being open at the center of said bottom portion; whereby a portionof the hard face of a hammer head is exposed and a portion of a hammerhead is provided with a resilient covering when a hammer is equippedwith said cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS960,700 Pratt June 7, 1910 1,663,886 Lutch Mar. 27, 1928 1,718,161 LutchJune 18, 1929 1,954,422 McIntyre Apr. 10, 1934 2,023,975 Qualey Dec. 10,1935

